Safeguarding the health of infants, the world’s most vulnerable consumers

Infant formula can be a sole source of nutrition for babies and must contain 100% of their required nutrients. Therefore, the most stringent testing methods should be used for product analysis. In this article, Darryl Sullivan , Chief Scientific Officer at Eurofins Food Testing USA, describes how Eurofins companies played a major role in overhauling and modernising infant formula testing in the wake of the 2008 Chinese melamine incident that hospitalised more than 50,000 babies.

Proper nutrition is fundamental to a baby’s health from birth. Infant formula contains enough protein, calories, fat, vitamins, and minerals to support a baby’s growth and development needs, and is crucial for infants who are not breastfed. As infant formula is the main source of nutrition for millions of babies, it is one of the most highly regulated products globally.

The world was rocked in 2008 when news of contaminated milk and infant formula in China emerged. A dangerous chemical component called melamine, which is used in plastic and fertiliser production, had made its way into infant formula and milk. Consequently, six babies died, and 54,000 infants were hospitalised across China.

So, how did this happen? “At that time, the standard test methods for infant formula were those developed by AOAC International in the 1980s, which had become outdated,” Darryl explains. “The Chinese crisis was the catalyst for global initiatives to improve infant formula analyses.”

Leading infant formula producers such as Danone, Johnson & Johnson, and Nestlé joined forces to develop a suite of stringent infant formula testing methods and form SPIFAN, the Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals. Scientists from Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovation, previously Covance Food Solutions, were chosen to lead SPIFAN and validate all new testing methods.

As a result, 59 new SPIFAN methods were validated, which are regarded as the industry standard in infant formula testing. New methods to test for vitamins A, D, and E are considered the international ‘gold standard’ in testing of this kind. Eurofins Food Testing scientists also played a role in developing more than 15 of the new SPIFAN methods for the analysis of Iodine, Choline, and Carnitine.

“SPIFAN, and the methods co-developed by Eurofins scientists, changed the landscape of infant formula testing, and showcased the Eurofins network of companies’ ability to create world-class testing standards,” Darryl says.

“The 2008 Chinese melamine crisis put the lives of millions of babies at risk. To protect consumers, the food and beverage industry must adopt a safety culture covering the entire supply chain, from raw materials through to the final product,” Darryl concludes.

To learn more about Eurofins’ food testing services, visit our website: https://www.eurofins.com/food-and-feed-testing/